TRAGEDY | Shouyou Hinata (Murder of Crows) ✓

CHAPTER TWO

Hinata rode his bike to your house the following morning. The air was cold and fresh, stinging your bare cheeks as you stumbled out the front door, your shoelaces still untied from rushing out to meet your friend. He had his gym kit slung across his back in the same battered black bag he'd been using for the past five years, and looked almost normal in his school uniform. The same old Hinata. Only he wasn't, and his eyes gave that much away. His eyes that were now perpetually hooded with shadows, sunken into his face like hollows in a tree.

"Morning Hinata," you said, pausing next to him to fasten your laces, almost tripping over the uneven clumps of grass growing by the front gate. "Are you sure you're ready to go back today?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he answered, but you remained unconvinced. He'd told you that he needed the distraction, so that he wasn't stuck in a limbo of mourning, but you just weren't so sure if he was ready for things to return to normal again. He'd been dealt a heavy blow and it took time to get over things like that.

"Okay," you said, dragging out a sigh as you climbed onto the adjoining seat of his bike and wrapped your arms around his waist. He felt so small and vulnerable in your arms, as fragile as stardust, and you wondered if you'd be able to let go when the time came. You wobbled slightly when he kicked off, but soon settled back into the rhythm, the breeze playing softly with your hair. "Are you looking forward to seeing the rest of the gang? I'm sure they'll be glad to see you. They've all been worrying."

Hinata hummed soundlessly. "I guess. You'll be with me though, won't you?" You couldn't see his eyes, but his shoulders had tensed and his voice sounded lilted, almost desperate.

"Of-of course I will," you stammered, remembering your mother's advice. "I'll be here the whole time."

He said nothing in return, but the muscles in his back slackened, the tension unravelling.

The ride to Karasuno High School was spent in silence; you were already bracing yourself for the stares and the whispers that you would have to face when you got there. It pissed you off that people couldn't mind their own business or respect other's. You'd already heard ridiculous rumours circling the school, heard people express anger and pity and indifference. Everyone had to think something, everyone had to have an opinion. Nobody could just leave it alone.

Shouyou braked quickly when you reached the bike shed, manoeuvring the bike into his usual stall, and you clambered off, brushing down the seat of your pants, waiting for him to finish fastening the wheel to the lock.

"Right, shall we go?" You said, trying to keep your voice cheery and upbeat, but there was a slight quiver in the last word that gave away the facade.

"Y-yeah." He took a deep breath - you didn't fail to miss the wobbliness of it, the slight shudder of his hands as he held them by his side - and led you into the main school complex.

There were still ten minutes before class started, so the halls were still teeming with students. This gave you good cover to slip by mostly unnoticed, wrapping your hand around Hinata's arm to keep him close. He seemed to walk through the corridors in a daze, his feet keeping pace with you but the rest of his mind elsewhere, his eyes flicking up and then down and then drifting over to you. A few people turned as you passed, their eyes falling on Hinata with mixtures of surprise and pity and indignation. You warned them off with a tight expression, hard look. You didn't want Hinata breaking down again.

You gave the boy a quick smile, a nod of encouragement, and walked up the stairs to the classrooms. You'd texted Kageyama ahead to ask him to meet you outside Hinata's room early, so he could get settled in class before anyone else was there. You, sadly, were in a different one to him.